Facebook Discovered That These Five Little Pups Weren’t What They Seemed – Then Saved Their Live

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Nature is a strange, strange place. It can be as cruel as it is wonderful and, when this man stumbled upon five “puppies” in the woods, he learned this fact in spades.

What he thought was a good deed ended up being the opposite – which just goes to show that not everything is as it seems in nature.

Five Puppies

Craig McGettrick came across something rather unusual in the back woods by his home: five adorable baby puppies.

A good Samaritan, Craig took the animals home – not realizing what a major mistake he just made.

So Small

When Craig discovered the little creatures, he had no idea what they were. They were so small they could not even open their eyes yet.

Cat Or Dog?

After further examination, Craig decided that the animals must be one of two things: either cats or dogs. “Those were probably the only two options I knew of,” Mcgettrick said of the incident.

A Moving Man

Craig is a mover who lives nearby Liverpool in the United Kingdom. In fact, he was on the job when he found the small creatures.

A Dingy Mattress

He was tasked with moving a discarded mattress, but found the animals on it instead. “We thought someone had dumped them knowing we were going to remove rubbish,” he said.

This ended up not being the case at all. These animals were not meant to be found.

The Responsible Thing

Being an expert mover, Craig put the small animals in a blanketed box. He immediately drove to the local animal shelter and dropped them off.

Facebook And Its Infinite Wisdom

Craig put photos of the animals on Facebook looking for potential adopters.

There were a few people interested in the “puppies” – but one poster went the extra mile in unraveling the mystery of these strange-looking animals.

An Online Investigation

A user sent a photo of the critters to the National Fox Welfare Society for inspection. “We were contacted by a lovely lady called Beccie through our Facebook Page,” NFWS posted on Facebook.

Mystery Animals Revealed

Experts in their field, the NFWS knew exactly what the critters were: foxes.

“Beccie had sent a few photos asking if the babies in the photos were indeed fox cubs,” they said on Facebook. “[We] confirmed they certainly were.”

A Lifetime Of Foxy Servitude

With upwards of 20 years of experience handling foxes, the NFWS knew their stuff. They are dedicated to helping and rehabilitating wounded or sick foxes.

A Small Mistake With Big Consequences

“Beccie advised us that they had been taken to a rescue center in Liverpool mistakenly as puppies, not fox cubs,” the NFWS reported. They said the mistake is easy to make when cubs are so young.

However, Craig’s mishap almost had deadly consequences.

One Man’s Trash Is Another Fox’s Home

The volunteer group suggested that the worn-down mattress was acting as the fox cubs’ home. It’s not uncommon for the mother to leave her cubs alone while hunting.

On The Clock

Learning of the incident within days of its occurrence, the NFWS had to act fast. They knew if they didn’t return the cubs soon, the mother might not take them back.

The Fox Man

That’s when Liverpool resident and Freshfields Animal Rescue’s “The Fox Man” came to help. Nicknamed due to his love for foxes, he agreed to take the foxes back to their mother.

But was it too late?

A Mother On The Prowl

That same day, the Fox Man took the cubs back to the woods. According to reports by the property owner, the mother had already been looking for her babies.

Tactical Starvation

The Fox Man’s next move was slightly cruel, but very clever.

“I didn’t give the cubs any milk in order for them to be hungry so they’d cry out and call for their mum, which they did.”

The Fox Man On Watch

The Fox Man staked out the heated box he put the cubs until the mother arrived. He didn’t want predators stumbling across them.

And, just an hour after setting them out, the Fox Man got his wish: the mother came back.

A Scary Situation

At first, the situation was scary. The mother only took one cub with her, leaving the other four behind. Two hours later, however, the Fox Man’s box was completely empty.

A Happy Ending

“Everyone was so pleased that the cubs were back where they belonged… with mom!” the NFWS wrote. “Special thanks to Becci, Craig, and Karen for their invaluable help and the Animal Sanctuary for agreeing to pass the cubs on.”

A Hero’s Thank You

Who did the NFWS thank most of all? Why, everyone.

“It really is heart-warming to know that this combined teamwork reunited five fox cubs with their vixen mother,” the NFWS wrote. “Well done everyone and thank you.”